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Written by Katharine Bernuth
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Wednesday, 13 September 2006 |
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There is little we can do about traffic jams, work deadlines and canceled flights — not to mention illness or death. But what if we could choose the way these events affected us?
Many people report a sense of peace and well-being through regular meditation that is unaffected by the hardships of life. Universities are funding studies on how meditation affects the brain, and the findings indicate that people who meditate regularly may be happier than the rest of us.
The Dalai Lama, the leader of Tibetan Buddhism, promotes meditation and would like to see the practice become a widespread, daily routine for people of all religions to maintain mental health.
That will be part of the Dalai Lama’s message when he speaks in Denver on Sept. 17. The 71-year-old Nobel Peace Laureate will discuss his vision of a peaceful world in which people use regular meditative practice as a tool to cultivate happiness and to comfort themselves in times of strife.
“If people don’t have religious affiliation or don’t care to, there is still opportunity for them to take advantage of these mental training tools, and they still work,” said Adam Engle, co-founder of the Mind and Life Institute, a Boulder think tank sponsoring the Dalai Lama’s talk in Denver. “You don’t need the religious dogma to get the benefits.”
Engle has been meditating for more than 30 years. Through meditation, a person can quiet the never-ending stream of thoughts and direct the mind away from anger toward more positive feelings.
“Just about everyone has an internal conversation going on in their head. The tenor of that conversation ... has a big effect on your happiness or your dissatisfaction.”
Through regular meditative practice people access a constant, nurturing place within themselves where they can take refuge from the world.
“It’s like a never-ending pool of peace, and as one practices, they can tap into that,” said Bailey Stenson of Fort Collins. “Meditation has brought a sense of peace and compassion into our lives.”
When Stenson’s son, Toby was 20 years old, he took his own life. Upon hearing the news, Stenson and her husband, Dennis, meditated together. They promised to forgive each other, forgive their son and do everything possible to support each other.
“We used those tools of meditation to bring peace and solace to our shattered selves,” Stenson said. | Only registered users can write comments.
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